The Righteousness of the Nations.
By I. I. L.
THE prophet Isaiah said of his nation: "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." What he said of his nation then, can be well said of all nations today. If Israel, the nation chosen of God, and to which his law was directly given, with the outward and visible manifestation of his power; and after being led into covenant with God and thereby into the way of righteousness; if then Israel was destitute of righteousness, what can be said of the nations of the earth to-day in this respect? If the righteousness of the Hebrew nation, with all their appointed worship, was as filthy rags, who can say that any of the Gentile nations are now in a better condition, morally and spiritually? Where is there one to-day nearer the standard of righteousness than the prophet's nation? But while the prophet spoke thus of his nation, he did not affirm that there were no righteous persons therein. Not long before this God told another prophet that there were then in the nation seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. There might have been as many in the days of Isaiah as in those of Elijah, who were righteous, not having departed from God. But this number was small when compared with that composing the nation. The declarations of Christian teachers to-day are greatly in contrast with the language of the great prophet of Israel respecting the moral condition of his people. They speak of the Christian world as being far in advance in righteousness of any former nation or age. They each impute righteousness to their own nation as a nation, not feeling as the ancient prophet did when he uttered the words we have quoted respecting Israel. The inquiry may be made, Are the so-called Christian nations of to-day regarding God and his laws with more reverence and filial obedience than did the Jews? If the righteousness of that nation was as filthy rags, what is the righteousness of our own nation to be compared to? What law of God did the Israelites violate that is not at this time disregarded? They broke the Sabbath, but not more than it is now disregarded. Nor did the nation of Israel break other laws of God more than they are now violated by the Christian nations of the earth. Covetousness, fraud, theft, robbery, murder—crimes of every degree, are as prevalent now as they were in the darkest days of the Jewish nation. Surely, then, we may say with the good prophet: "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." But when will the opposite of this be said as truthfully as this can now be uttered with regard to our nation and people? Can we reasonably look for a national righteousness—a time when this language of the prophet will not be applicable to the American nation? Where are the indications of the approach of such a day? —I. I. L., in World's Crisis.